The volume, edited by Donna Heiland and Laura J. Rosenthal, explores what is at stake in the debates about assessment, especially in the literature classroom: “what we stand to gain, what we fear to lose, and whether current assessment methods can even capture the outcomes we care about most: the complex, subtle, seemingly ineffable heart of learning.”

Rachelle’s chapter, “Making the Case for Discipline-based Assessment,” emerges from her thinking about assessment after several years of research as principal investigator of the Teagle Assessment Project. It also provides an overview of that research which focuses on learning outcomes in the fields of classics and political science.

“Rachelle is doing leading-edge work in a field that’s really heating up,” says Slover Linett’s higher ed leader Bill Hayward. “Her chapter is a strong, smart contribution to the dialogue. I can’t wait to see the impact the book makes on the future of assessment.”

There are 17 other contributors to the book, including education leaders, faculty form English and foreign language departments, and other assessment experts.

Last month, Coca-Cola aired its now-famous Super Bowl ad depicting people from various racial, ethnic, and cultural groups singing “America the Beautiful” together in different languages. Among the instant outpouring of polarized reactions to this ad rang much praise for its depiction of a multicultural America. Yet the ad provoked a slew of negative responses as well. Many of the ad’s detractors questioned whether this multicultural America could ever feel as cohesive as an America whose citizens speak a common language, and therefore have taken great strides toward assimilating into a common culture.